A fuel cell membrane electrode assembly typically includes a polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched between an anode and a cathode. During fuel cell operation, a fuel gas, such as hydrogen, is oxidized on the anode while an oxidant gas, such as oxygen, is reduced on the cathode. The electrochemical redox reactions on the anode and cathode are generally catalyzed by a metal catalyst, such as platinum. Electricity can be generated from such electrochemical reactions in a fuel cell at a high efficiency. A thin single electrode layer is generally and desirably sought in fuel cells. A reactant gas (either the fuel gas or the oxidant gas) has a fast transport rate and minimal kinetic barrier to reach the reactive sites in a thin electrode layer, resulting in higher current density at a given cell voltage. A thin single electrode layer may also allow reduced usage of the costly platinum catalyst while achieving acceptable current density under certain operating conditions. Additionally, catalyst is typically distributed uniformly through the single layer electrode configuration to ensure uniform current distribution. Single layer electrode design is simple and generally less expensive to manufacture.